# Bermuda Grass vs. St. Augustine Grass > Bermuda and St. Augustine look, grow, and feed differently. Know which grass you have before you fertilize or treat for weeds. Canonical page: https://www.greenlawnfertilizing.net/bermuda-grass-vs-st-augustine-grass Published June 18, 2019. Category: Lawn Care Tips. The short version: in the Bermuda grass vs. St. Augustine grass decision, Bermuda wins on sun, foot traffic, and fast establishment, while St. Augustine wins on shade tolerance and needs less fertilizer. The most important reason to know the difference between Bermuda and St. Augustine grass is treatment: some weed control products will actually kill St. Augustine, so the right product depends entirely on which grass you have. The comparison below breaks down St. Augustine vs. Bermuda grass point by point. What is the difference between St. Augustine grass and Bermuda grass? There are many differences between these two types of grass. How they look, what they need, how they can be treated, etc. Knowing what type of grass you have and how to best feed and take care of it is very important. For example, some weed control products will actually kill St. Augustine grass, so make sure you know what to apply to your type of lawn. ## Comparing Bermuda and St. Augustine Grass ### St. Augustine Grass St. Augustine grass is coarse and a very shade tolerant grass. As for fertilization, it actually requires less fertilization than Bermuda grass. If you have St. Augustine grass in part of your yard, you'll witness how quickly it will move and grow, choking out other grass your lawn may have. If your lawn has high traffic, St. Augustine may show some signs of being overly walked on. St. Augustine grass will grow in a wide variety of soil types, but prefers a soil with a neutral pH. While preferred by many homeowners, St. Augustine grass is also used in commercial applications. ### Bermuda Grass Bermuda grass wears very well and produces a medium green, dense turf. Bermuda grass establishes quickly, which is why it is often used for new lawns and can out-compete most weed species. This type of grass is a little higher maintenance; it needs regular spraying for insects, disease, and of course fertilizing for growth. It does not do well in a lot of shade. Bermuda grass is very common in many residential lawns and is also used in commercial applications, however it is not ideal for sports fields. ### Mixing Bermuda and St. Augustine Grass Some North Texas lawns end up with both, usually where a shady area meets full sun. Mixing Bermuda and St. Augustine grass can work, but the two rarely blend evenly: Bermuda takes over the sunny stretches while St. Augustine holds the shade, and the border between them shifts over time. The real catch is treatment, because a product safe for Bermuda can wipe out the St. Augustine right next to it, so a mixed lawn has to be treated to the more sensitive grass. Make sure you know what type of lawn you have, what type of grass will do best, and what to treat your grass with for the best results. Green Lawn is a family owned and operated company and we would love to give you a quote on fertilization and weed control for your lawn. Contact us today! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What's the main difference between Bermuda and St. Augustine grass? Bermuda is a fine-textured, sun-loving grass that establishes fast, handles foot traffic, and out-competes most weeds, but it needs more fertilizer and won't tolerate shade. St. Augustine is coarser and very shade tolerant, spreads aggressively, and needs less fertilization, but it's more sensitive to traffic and to certain weed control products. ### Which is better for a Texas lawn, St. Augustine vs. Bermuda grass? It depends on the yard. For sunny, high-traffic lawns, Bermuda grass is usually the stronger pick. For shaded yards, St. Augustine is the safer choice because Bermuda thins badly without full sun. Matching the grass to the light and traffic your yard actually gets matters more than a blanket ranking. ### Can you mix Bermuda and St. Augustine grass in one lawn? You can, and many lawns end up that way where sun meets shade, but mixing Bermuda and St. Augustine grass is hard to keep even. Bermuda dominates the sun and St. Augustine holds the shade. The bigger issue is treatment, since a weed control product safe for Bermuda can kill St. Augustine, so a mixed lawn must be treated to the more sensitive grass. ### Why does knowing my grass type matter for weed control? Because some weed control products that are perfectly safe on Bermuda grass will kill St. Augustine grass. Identifying which grass you have before any treatment is the single most important step, and it's exactly what a licensed lawn care company checks before spraying anything. ## Contact - Phone: (469) 344-9619 - Email: john@greenlawnfertilizing.net - Address: 155 Gumbo Dr, Rockwall, TX 75032 - Hours: Mon-Sat 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM, Sun closed - Contact form: https://www.greenlawnfertilizing.net/contact